Cheese Grater Magazine: Sketch Director

Sketch actually changed my life for the better. I wandered into the wrong meeting for first year and just by pure chance, I enjoyed the meeting where we were acting out some sketches, and all of a sudden, I was hooked on it. Over time I would get more involved firstly with writing, and then with acting and tech roles for our shows, culminating most recently in a trip to Edinburgh to perform at the Fringe Festival.

Prior to joining the Cheese Graters, I had no acting experience, very little writing experience, and was a complete newbie to comedy. I would not say I am good now as there is still a lot to learn, but I do credit this society for assisting with my personal development, and now I wish to make the next step further by taking charge, reaching out and introducing more people to sketch. 

I would love to firstly keep up the good work that our society has been putting out. Additionally, I aspire to help sketch gain more recognition from the SU through at least an award nomination at the end of the year. This would be achieved through more high quality shows, opening Sketch meetings to more people, having sessions that are focused on developing certain abilities, and forming good relationships with other societies that can also collaborate with us in the future. 

Sketch comedy is a nice outlet for the chaos of university, though I’m aware not everyone feels able to participate in its creative process. I feel incredibly lucky, given the opportunities I’ve had to both write and perform for the Graters. I'm applying for sketch director because I would like to create a culture in which people feel empowered to do the same.

A sketch director requires strong empathy, flexibility and organisation. I am committed to promoting these qualities. I believe this approach will not only produce better shows but also better writers. I think solid human relationships translate onto the stage, which is also why I cast our first show as fairly as possible. If everyone feels valued, I believe our comedic style will be authentic and hopefully appreciated by the audience.

Having now written and performed at Fringe and four Mully’s shows, I believe I have gained enough technical experience to be an effective leader. I also have previous leadership experience, having served as head boy at my old school. 

I would love the opportunity to lead with Ben and Euan; I think our friendship forms a strong foundation as we rebuild this year. Oh, and the fact we buy each other scented candles every 3rd Tuesday.